Down the stretch, it's Ape-O'-War, Rhesus Pieces and Missing Link, but here comes I Am Curious (George) charging on the outside ... and the winner is I Am Curious (George) by a cold, wet nose! (The Banana Derby never fails to thrill the Red River Valley Fair in Paris, Texas.)

What happens when your country goes broke: A protester wearing a helmet and gas mask runs from riot police as a 24-hour general strike turns violent in Athens. Nearly 34,000 people in Athens and another 18,000 in Thessaloniki marched in protest of a new austerity package, which the country's EU and International Monetary Fund creditors have said is necessary for Athens to receive the next installment from its rescue loans.

Mask taping: Contestants in the "Miss Bumbum Brasil 2012" beauty pageant wait to record a television program in the Sao Paulo suburb of Osasco. You can probably guess what attribute they will be judged on.

One little kitten finds her Mittens: In honor of National Dog Week (the last week of September), we recognize the selfless actions of Mittens the Pekingese, who has gone beyond the call of canine duty to nurse a cat. Mittens' owner, Pat Weber of Jordan, Minn., says the kitty, dubbed Bootsie, was just days old when her grandson found it in their pole barn and brought it into their house. Mittens hadn't had a litter in two years, but allowed the kitten to suckle. The pooch began producing milk three days later and has nursed Bootsie ever since.

Photo: Jeff Baenen, Associated Press

One little kitten finds her Mittens: In honor of National Dog Week...

One little kitten finds her Mittens: In honor of National Dog... Photo-3509398.49688 - SFGate

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No frenching French Fry: If you must make out with an alligator, make sure its jaws are bound shut like French Fry here. Destini Clarke shows the correct way at Alligator Attraction in Madeira Beach, Fla.

Photo: Diez, Cherie, Associated Press

No frenching French Fry: If you must make out with an alligator,...

No frenching French Fry: If you must make out with an alligator,... Photo-3509413.49688 - SFGate

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The Father, the Son and the Holy Gust: A breeze catches Pope Benedict XVI's collar during his weekly address in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Photo: Vincenzo Pinto, AFP/Getty Images

The Father, the Son and the Holy Gust: A breeze catches Pope...

The Father, the Son and the Holy Gust: A breeze catches Pope... Photo-3509380.49688 - SFGate

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Soggy ol' England: Brits enjoy a couple of pints in flooded York, where the River Ouse was overflowing its banks. The UK was bracing for more torrential rain following two days of heavy downpours.

Deadly plunge: Rescuers and volunteers search for survivors after a bus went off a bridge and fell into the Purna River in the Buldhana district of India's Maharashtra state. One report said as many as 24 people were killed. Twenty others were rescued.

Photo: Associated Press

Deadly plunge: Rescuers and volunteers search for survivors after a...

Hey! A stray dog helps himself to a fisherman's catch on a beach in the south of Spain.

Photo: Emilio Morenatti, Associated Press

Hey! A stray dog helps himself to a fisherman's catch on a beach in...

Hey! A stray dog helps himself to a fisherman's catch on a... Photo-3509408.49688 - SFGate

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Nursing students beaten: An Indian policewoman (right) grins as her fellow officers pummel a Kashmiri nursing student with their batons during a sit-in protest against exam results in Srinagar. The nursing students gathered for the protest after most taking third-year examinations failed.

Photo: Tauseef Mustafa, AFP/Getty Images

Nursing students beaten: An Indian policewoman (right) grins as her...